Darryn Peterson is getting a rude welcome to life as a professional athlete.
The Utah Jazz star rookie Peterson spoke in a recent interview to ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike. During the interview, Peterson revealed that he was a victim of a theft during the pre-draft process.
“Crazy story,” said Peterson, per KSL Sports. “My whip during the pre-draft process got stolen out of the driveway at the Airbnb I was staying at. After it got taken, I was like,’I’m about to just get something else.’”
Peterson added that he ended up using some money from his first NBA contract to buy a new black Range Rover as a result. The 19-year-old also said that he learned his lesson and now keeps the new car in his garage at all times.
You can watch Peterson’s full interview with Ogwumike here.
Peterson was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after a standout freshman year at Kansas in which he averaged 20.2 points per game and earned an All-Big 12 selection. While the 6-foot-6 combo guard did also spark plenty of concern with various injury issues throughout the year (which Peterson has since revealed the cause of), he looks poised for a successful career in the NBA after a tremendous showing in this year’s Summer League.
Meanwhile, Peterson is also learning a valuable early lesson about the price of fame and riches. He might even be able to get some advice from this fellow NBA player who got his car stolen earlier this summer as well.
